Marauding on Valentine's Day
by Darkvision
Summary: The Marauders have big plans set for this valentine's day ball. Preparations must be made, and everything must be flawless. ...Like that'd ever happen! Short, light MWPP fic set in their 5th year.


Marauding On Valentine's  
  
By Dark elf  
The frightened boy took a step back on the castle's battlements in his anxiety. His eyes were wide with apprehension as the dark, gaunt figure advanced slowly towards him.  
  
"No, little one, there is nothing for you here. Nothing but uncertainty and the fragmented darkness which is despair. You do know the meaning of despair is, do you not?"  
  
The boy nodded and mumbled incoherently, his legs trembling.  
  
"Good," came that whispering, sinister voice "Then you know what to do." He paused, standing ominous before the child, then leaned forwards, the moonlight behind him hiding his face as he added between his teeth.  
  
"Run."  
  
He needed no further urging, turning and running as fast as he could go, nearly tripping over his robes as he went.  
  
It was indeed convenient that the figure's face could not be seen, or else the boy might've noticed that his dark assailant was trying with all his might to keep a straight face throughout his threats, and had his lips halfway through a smirk already. He straightened up and composed himself, in time to hear the door from one of the towers opening and a voice addressing him.  
  
"Was that really necessary, Padfoot?"  
  
"Yeah, I mean, what if he goes and tells one of the teachers.?" added another, which had followed the first out of the tower and was noticeably more nervous about the whole affair.  
  
"Relax, relax," he began, turning towards them, the moonlight illuminating clearly now the shapes of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, three-quarters of the self entitled Marauders. "He's a Slytherin" continued Black. "Think he'd say he got scared by some shadow on the battlements and risk being the laughing stock of the common room?" He paused and looked around, then down at the Hogwarts grounds below. The night was chilly, but at least they had a clear sky, he noted analytically. "Right, back to business. How're we doing?"  
  
"Almost ready to go." Answered Remus, rubbing his hands together. "I've got the tower balcony all set up and on schedule. Chocolates are in place, so're the cushions we - ahem - borrowed from the common room.  
  
He turned to Pettigrew.  
  
"Wormtail, you got the books and the.." he glanced uneasily from side to side "..phial. Right?"  
  
"Well." began the stocky marauder.  
  
Sirius and Remus both lifted an eyebrow at him quizzically.  
  
"Well. you see. I was gonna. But. when I was about to get the phial from the potions office, Severus was there. He got it first. And then, I kinda forgot about the books. So I came straight here to tell you about it."  
  
Sirius' hand ran through his raven-black hair then slid down his neck in desperation.  
  
"Snape has the phial. What the hell is he gonna need it for?" An uneasy silence descended upon them, which Remus was the only one who dared break.  
  
"For. the same reason we need it, Padfoot. Disgusting as the thought may be."  
  
"Alright, alright" resumed Black, not doing very well at staying calm. "Moony, you get the books in Flitwick's office. I'll run down to the dungeon and try and find us another potion. Wormtail, you. You get the honorable task of staying here and keeping guard in case they come up earlier."  
  
Pettigrew lowered his head in shame, but consented. They were off, with precious little time to lose. All the others were down at the St. Valentine's ball so they had a certain freedom to move about the castle. Not that people in the corridors ever impaired their movement since they probably knew Hogwarts as well as anyone could ever know it. Remus and Sirius dashed their opposite directions, darting into and out of secret passages, taking as many shortcuts as were possibly available, with the ease which only they possessed.  
  
Meanwhile, in another part of the castle, another furtive figure had escaped from the excitement of the ball and was also heading towards the dungeons, eyes darting this way and that. His hand coming up every now and then to steer his black bangs out of his eyes. Beside him, was a less-than- overly-happy Slytherin third-grader.  
  
"Where are we going Severus.? Ooooh, this is the way to the dungeons. Is that what you wanted to show me, the potions' professor secret diary in his office or something? Exciting!" she squealed.  
  
Snape rolled his eyes and was thankful when they arrived at the dungeons at last. Motioning her to wait for him, he went on ahead and retrieved the phial from the suit of armor where he had hidden it. His hands were trembling and he was cursing himself repeatedly under his breath. No-one would ever know, he muttered, to reassure himself. No need ever know that Severus Snape had to resort to a love potion. Much less of his secret. 'love interest'. He cleared his throat as if to drive those thoughts away and returned to the waiting girl against the dungeon wall.  
  
"Drink this, first. Before we."  
  
"Before we what?" she squeaked happily.  
  
He frowned and took a long breath, hating himself for going through all this.  
  
"Before we find the potions' professor's 'secret-diary-in-his-office'. It.. well.. It makes you invisible so no-one will know we're there. All right? Now drink up."  
  
Indeed Severus was always slightly lacking in his social skills, but the she was of such an astounding naïveté that she merely gasped, thrilled at the prospect and was about to take the phial for drinking when the suit of armor where the potion was originally hidden burst open and out flew the shape of Sirius Black, panting and disheveled.  
  
"Black!!" yelled Snape taking a step back from the girl. "I was merely. We were just." He swallowed dryly, feeling as if he was a stone dropped into the acid pool of humiliation.  
  
Sirius' eyebrows soared up and involuntarily his lips widened into a large grin. "SEVVY'S GOT A GIRLFRIEND!!" he yelled before breaking into a fit of laughter, completely forgetting his mission.  
  
Snape's mind was reeling. Think of something, think fast. The girl had already ran away back to the main hall upon reaching a full cognizance of Snape's true intentions.  
  
"I'll trade you." He said finally. "I know you need the potion. Your silence for it. On your word as a Gryffindor." With a certain change of pitch for the last word.  
  
The laughing teenager recomposed himself, still smirking, and considered. Knowing Snape's secret and being able to pass it on to everyone was very tempting. But right now, this was more important.  
  
"Done." He said. "On my word."  
  
The dark Slytherin lifted an eyebrow in suspicion, but it was still the best chance he had, so he presented the potion.  
  
Black took it, shoved inside his cloak, then after a quick mocking pat on Severus' back, he dashed back into the suit of armor from whence he'd come. Oh well, he thought, at least Snape wouldn't feel at ease for a while, simply knowing he knew.  
  
The three were back on the battlements, doing a last minute review of their plans. Pour the potion into the butterbeer. Mug without potion on the right side, mug with potion on the left side. Chocolates close at hand for easy offering. Comfortable cushions at the ready, necessary illumination provided by the spell in Flitwick's book. All set, they heard the trapdoor to the battlements open.  
  
".yes, I come here quite often for the view of the grounds."  
  
Prongs! And the girl with him must be Lily. They all hid behind some of the large blocks of stone, waiting for their cue. James, of course, was completely oblivious to all their arrangements, having but received a note at some point during the ball which said simply "Good Luck with Lily, you two have a surprise waiting for you at the North Tower Balcony. - M"  
  
As soon as they entered the tower to get to the balcony, Remus took his wand out and started running through the pages of the book, to ready up the charm.  
  
"Hey." Whispered Peter. "can I do it.?"  
  
The two other boys looked at him questioningly.  
  
"Can I. y'know. Do the charm? I mean. I tried right. And I helped out, I kept guard and all. Let me do something. C'mon."  
  
Remus turned to Sirius. Sirius shrugged and looked around, unsure of what to do.  
  
"Fine. Sure. You do the charm." Conceded Remus finally. "It's right here, p.217 - this one, ok?"  
  
The Marauder smiled broadly, nodded and took out his wand.  
  
"All right. You ready.? Ok, go for it!"  
  
Pettigrew stood up, put out his chest, aimed the wand at the sky, glanced at the book, and in the most overconfident voice he could muster, uttered  
  
"Pluviatus Ranis!!"  
  
There was silence. Remus glanced at Sirus.  
  
"Wait. wasn't it supposed to be the one above it.? Pluviatus lux?"  
  
The two youths closed their eyes and furrowed their brow in preparation for what was to come. The sky clouded over. Thunder was heard. There was a split second when Remus could swear he heard the sound "ribbit" before a deluge of frogs and toads came pouring from the sky in an endless rain, covering the battlements and a large part of the grounds outside with their numbers. Peter bit his lower lip and groaned.  
  
"I'm. so. sorry. everyone."  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey prongs."  
  
"What.?  
  
"You asleep yet?"  
  
" Profoundly."  
  
"Look. I just wanted to say I'm sorry about tonight. We really wanted it to work out for you two. All of us. But. I guess we screwed up in the end, with all that frog thing."  
  
"It kind of did break the mood slightly, yes."  
  
"Yeah. I figured as much when I saw her running out screeching. Really sorry things turned out this way."  
  
There was a silence.  
  
"Well. things didn't turn out that bad. We'll all be going to Hogsmeade next week and she. well, she hinted that I might have another chance to make it up to her there."  
  
"Wha-Really?? So.. uh.. I imagine she drank the butterbeer."  
  
"She was about to when one of your frogs fell into it. Why?"  
  
"No reason, no reason. Such a waste of good butterbeer, that's all."  
  
Silence again.  
  
"Hey. wanna try and guess something about Severus?"  
  
"Go to sleep, Padfoot." 


End file.
